Something To Remember Her By
by Alaine1
Summary: “She knew she would remember him always.” A Brady/Chloe story, written around the time Chloe was first diagnosed with cancer. Complete.


Something To Remember Her By  
Part: 1/1  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything; NBC owns everything, blah blah blah. You know the drill.  
Pairing: Brady/Chloe  
Authors Note: I wrote this fic sometime last year; just as the leukemia storyline was getting underway. I must warn you, it's slightly depressing. ;)  
  
~  
  
A full moon hung in the late evening sky; it's silver light illuminating the   
sleeping figure who was resting soundly in the hospital bed off to the   
right. Her once vibrant skin was now a ghostly white, revealing the ongoing   
battle that was brewing inside her. Jagged breathing could be heard all the   
way down the hall, and it was painfully obvious that the girl did not have   
much longer left to live. She was hanging on; grasping at every lifeline   
available, but still everyone around her knew it was a losing battle.  
  
Brady sat perched in a chair, as he had for many previous nights, holding   
one of her hands gently in his. Trying to offer her what little comfort he   
could.  
  
While on his visits, Brady often just liked to study her face; memorizing   
every detail, from the full of her lips to the depths of her big, oval eyes.   
He wanted to capture it all perfectly in his mind so he'd have something to   
remember her by.  
  
But he didn't like to think of things such as that. He had to put up a brave   
front - for her, no matter how much this was killing him. Because there   
would be plenty of time to grieve and die inside once she was gone.  
  
He never thought things were going to end like this. But then again, life   
had a way of dealing you unexpected blows.  
  
It had all begun close to a year ago, if he could recall. Things had started   
simple enough. Chloe had been having little fainting spells off and on, and   
her mother, Nancy Wesley, had finally caved and forced her to go see a   
doctor. Against Chloe's better judgement, of course. She was never one to   
let anyone know when she needed help.  
  
The doctors had been as puzzled as they all had been. Something in her blood   
had been irregular, they had said, and that had been the beginning of the   
end. More blood tests had been ensured, and within a few months time Chloe   
had been diagnosed with cancer.  
  
That thought still sent chills through his entire body, so he preferred not   
to think about it.  
  
Things had gotten progressively worse since then. Her nose bleeds had   
continued, only worse this time, and she had barely been able to pry herself   
out of bed in the morning. Finally, she had been admitted into the hospital,   
undergoing various types of cancer treatment. Nothing seemed to work. For   
awhile there it appeared that she was recovering, but her body only relapsed   
again shortly afterwards, causing the doctors to finally throw in the   
towels.  
  
There was nothing left to do but wait. They kept her in the hospital sedated   
for pain, but that was basically all they could do. It was only a matter of   
time now.  
  
Brady had remained loyal through the whole ordeal. He had sat by her bedside   
many nights when even her parents had gone home, just hoping and praying   
that there was something he could do. Anything, just so he wouldn't feel so   
damn useless just sitting there.  
  
Sometimes they would talk. Exchange sarcastic banter like they used to, but   
it seemed forced this time. They both knew that all they were doing was   
putting up a front, a mask to cover up all the pain. But it was evident in   
both their eyes.  
  
Phillip had been by a couple of times since the illness had began. Usually   
he just came by to drop off some flowers, rarely staying long enough to say   
much. You could tell the poor kid was having a rough time, he didn't know   
how to deal with all this loss. First his parents had decided to get a   
divorce, then his brother ended up in a coma, and now his girlfriend was   
dying of cancer. It was really taking it's toll on him, so much that he   
could barely even deal, which was why he hadn't been there for Chloe in the   
end.  
  
It was just Brady and her family that was left. Belle and Shawn were already   
absorbed in their own lives at college, only coming home when the holidays   
rolled around. They had visited her a few times, but the conversation had   
been lacking, and silence stretched between them. Things just weren't the   
same, and words weren't really needed to express that.  
  
Over the past few days things had gotten worse. It was only a matter of time   
now, the doctors had said; hours even. And then this raven haired beauty   
would slip into a sleep that she would never awaken from.  
  
Chloe faintly stirred just then, and Brady bolted awake from his chair. He   
knew he had to savor every precious moment he had with her, because each one   
could be his last. He gazed intently at the girl laying before him. Such a   
shadow of her former self - dark circles shaping her eyelids, little color   
to her cheeks. Seeing her like this completely killed him. He wanted to   
scoop her up in his arms and whisk her away somewhere, where miracles really   
do happen. But he knew that was not possible, so he had to be content with   
just being in her presence.  
  
"Brady?" she mumbled, trying to work up enough energy to say more. Every   
word seemed to be a struggle these days.  
  
"Yes? I'm here if you need me, Chloe," he gently caressed her hand, trying   
to pick out any trace of life in her once lively eyes. He wondered where she   
even got the energy to breath anymore, that one word seemed to have   
completely exhausted her.  
  
"I-I don't...know w-what to do," she managed to get out. Oh god, she sounded   
so FINAL. This was really scarring him.  
  
"About what?" he asked.  
  
"Everything."  
  
"I don't know what you mean." Damn him for being so helpless!  
  
"I mean, where do I go from here? I know I'm dying. I can feel it in my   
bones. No need to sugercoat things. But I don't know what I'm supposed to do   
next. This whole process - dying, I mean, it's not exactly something I've   
dealt with before."  
  
He fiercely choked back tears that were threatening to fall, gripping the   
side of her hospital bed for support. Now was not the time to break down. He   
would have plenty of time to do that when he was alone, now he must remain   
strong for her. "You just have to be you," he said tenderly, the emotion in   
his voice surprising even him.  
  
She gave a half hearted smile. "Well I've never had a problem with that   
before."  
  
"No, you never have," he said softly, cupping the side of her cheek and   
tenderly running a finger down her jawbone. Even after all this time, her   
skin was still as soft as silk, and he wanted to cherish the feel of it   
beneath his fingers forever. He would need that memory to keep him company   
on the lonely nights where he would no longer have his Diva to keep him   
company.  
  
"You know I love you, right Brady?" Chloe said after a few moments of   
silence, her voice seeming to grow weaker with each passing second.  
  
He looked up at her, and there was no mistaking the tears brimming in his   
eyes. A single one fell and slid down his cheek, and the most he could do   
was choke back a sob. He forgot all notions of being strong and noble and   
just let the tremors rack his body while she just looked on, mildly detached   
from her own body. She supposed that death was around the corner - but   
strangely enough she didn't feel fightened at all.  
  
"Chloe...there are so many things I've never gotten to tell you. Like how   
much you mean to me, or that you're the most amazing person I've ever had   
the pleasure of coming in contact with. I've never told you these things   
because I've always wanted to have the upperhand. I wanted to be the strong   
one; the one with all the knowledge. Well, screw that! This entire   
experiance has opened my eyes up to what I coward I really am. I'm not the   
strong one. You are."  
  
A sad smile graced Chloe's face, as she felt serenity overcome her entire   
body as the numbing sensation took over. The last thing she saw was the face   
of the man she loved, crying, begging her to come back. She knew she would   
remember him always. 


End file.
